The maintenance of the proper pressure in a tire may enhance the overall performance, safety and economy of the tire. For example, proper tire pressure can reduce thread wear, result in better gas mileage and handing, and reduce the risk of blowouts. Even a relatively small leak in a tire may result in significant pressure loss over the lifetime of the tire. Although some vehicle owners ensure that the tire pressure is tested regularly and repressurized to recommended levels as necessary, others do not notice small leaks and drive on tires with insufficient air pressure.
Industry pressure tests for small leaks generally involve tests that can be time-consuming and expensive. Early industry standard air permeation tests using mercury manometers to monitor slow leaks in tires took as long as 180 days to perform. More recent tests using electronic pressure transducers may be performed in about sixteen days. In addition to the amount of time needed to test tires for small leaks, these tests designed to determine the leakage rate can be in significant errors due to temperature sensitivities inherent in pressure measurement sensors.